Striped
rabbit spotted in Sumatra |
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| One of the rarest species of rabbit in the world has been spotted for only the third time in the last 35 years. | |
| The Sumatran striped rabbit was photographed in late January on the Indonesian island of Sumatra, the Wildlife Conservation Society said. | |
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The
elusive rabbit is rarely captured on camera.
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The
species is listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union,
due to loss of habitat. |
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The rabbit was previously photographed in 2000, with the last sighting
by a scientist back in 1972. |
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Habitat risk |
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The 30cm-long rabbit was photographed by a camera trap in Bukit Barisan
National Park, said Colin Poole, director of the Wildlife Conservation
Society's Asia Program. |
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The
sighting also highlighted the need to protect the habitat of the species,
also known as Nesolagus netscheri, from threats such
as farming, he said. |
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| "This rabbit is so poorly known that any proof of its continued existence at all is great news, and confirms the conservation importance of Sumatra's forests," Mr Poole said. | |
| Back in 1999, researchers discovered another species of striped rabbit in the Annamite Mountains between Laos and Vietnam, and named it the Annamite striped rabbit. | |
| Genetic samples revealed the species were distinct, though closely related, most likely diverging about 8 million years ago. | |
Comment: |
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| Sorry! Some of us have always liked rabbits.... | |
| Link to article: | |
| http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/6530365.stm | |
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